


Earthbound

by KyaFalcone



Series: Daughters of Igraine [2]
Category: Arthurian Mythology, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: BAMF Women, Family, Gen, Magic, Team as Family, Women Being Awesome, Women In Power
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-19
Updated: 2016-04-04
Packaged: 2018-03-13 16:40:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3388805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KyaFalcone/pseuds/KyaFalcone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While Morgan took Arthur to Avalon, the other sisters bound their souls to the Earth.  Wiping the memories of Morgan, Arthur, and Camelot from their minds.  When the time was right, their souls would meet again and they would remember.  Hundreds of years have passed.  Now it is time for the sisters to remember.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I will not be putting any specific character names for this section of the series. Mainly because I'd hate to spoil who the sisters are. I'm sure some will be obvious, but others may not.

_"I suggest you kill the target before your partner dies, Agent Barton,"_ a harsh feminine voice cut through the comm link.

"Who the hell are you? Where's Coulson?" Clint Barton responded, shooting several more of the men between his partner and their target.

_"Maria Hill. Now cover your partner before you get her killed!"_

"Why should I-!"

"Hawkeye," the out of breath voice of his partner made him freeze for a split second.

Moving on instinct, Barton pulled out his sidearm and began shooting all those standing in Natasha's path.

* * *

 

"Who the hell was that, Coulson?" Clint began when they reached their handler.

By the middle of Clint's next sentence, Natasha Romanov had tuned her partner and friend out.  Phil Coulson was simply walking to the right and between the two agents.  The red head instead focused on the strange sensation that pull at her heart.

It wasn't the first time she had felt the tugging sensation.  It wasn't even the first time she felt it while in a SHIELD facility.  It felt like a collection of strings were wrapped around her heart, and every once and a while one of the strings would pull.  Sometimes they felt like the quick, hard ripping of tendons.  Other times, like now, it was a slow tug, as though she was being beckoned in a direction.

"Well, Tasha?" Clint broke her concentration.

"Hmm," she hummed, not moving her eyes from their forward position.

"Ready to meet this new hot shot agent?" Clint grinned.

"Agent Hill gave sound advice," Natasha countered as she followed Coulson into the debriefing room.  "You weren't actually helping me reach the target; simply killing a few in my way. I was doing most of the work."

A snort of laughter caused Natasha to lift her gaze, locking her green eyes with blue ones of the brunette sitting at the table.  She raised a red eyebrow in greeting before taking the seat across from the new agent.

"Clint Barton, Natasha Romanov," Phil gestured to the pair before taking his seat next to the brunette woman, "Maria Hill."

A gentle wave like tugging sensation caused Natasha to move internally.  The assassin allowed her trained mind to give and receive the mission information while she turned to investigate the new feeling.  She had never felt the strings push into her before.

They had pulled her for most of her life.  Pulled her up when she messed up at the Academy.  Pulled her forward when she was so dehydrated, frostbitten, or in extreme hypothermia that there was little chance of survival.  Pulled her to Clint.  Pulled her to SHIELD.

Never had she felt as if she was being pulled _and pushed_.

By the end of the meeting, Natasha only had a vague idea of what transpired.  She knew Phil was dragging Clint to do the mission's paperwork.  The mission was deemed a success.  The new agent in their division gave Clint a good thrashing for not doing his job correctly.

"Romanov," a voice from behind Natasha called.

"Hill," Natasha responded, turning to face the agent.

"I haven't really gotten a chance to look around," Maria Hill stated.  "Would you mind showing me the best place to get a cup of Joe?"

Natasha smiled wickedly.  "There isn't any place good in the building, but I know a hole in the wall."

"Works for me," Maria grinned back.

* * *

 Late into the night, the moonlight covered the two women.  Natasha relaxed her grip on the knife under her pillow.  Maria let out her breath and rolled away from the gun she had resting on the nightstand.  The two began to dream.

_"Come on!" a small dark brown haired girl called behind her.  She spotted her companion running through the underbrush towards the younger of the two._

_"Be careful! The road is coming up!" the blonde girl called from her spot behind her sister._

_"I will!" the brunette giggled._

_Stumbling out of the forest onto the path the people used to travel between two villages, the brunette laughed pulling on her green skirt to release it from the brambles._

_"Hello little one," a male's voice cooed._

_The small girl jumped and turned to see three filthy men stalking towards her.  Stumbling over her feet the brunette tried to get back into the protective forest._

_"Now do not be afraid. We only mean to keep you safe," another of the men commented._

_"Aye. The forest can be dangerous for one so small," the last leered._

_"I am fine," she trembled.  "My sister will be along shortly."_

_"Then we shall keep the two of you safe."_

_"Tha-that will not be necessary, good sirs."_

_"Come now, little one," the first man grabbed her arm, pulling her towards his body._

_A small dagger shot out of the forest, cutting the man's upper arm, forcing him to release the brunette.  Several more daggers flew through the air, hitting all three men while moving around the brunette as if by magic._

_A pale hand wrapped itself in the small girl's green dress and pulled her back into the wild of the forest.  Turning as she entered, the brunette spotted her blonde sister, who then grabbed her hand and pulled them further into the safety of the forest._

_"Can you teach me?" the small green clad girl asked after some time._

_"Hmm?" the blonde hummed, pulling her light gray dress from some brambles.  "Teach you what?"_

_"How to fight," the brunette answered.  "I never what to feel as if I can not defend myself again. I will not always be able to rely on you or our sisters to protect me."_

_The blonde stopped, taking a good look at her younger sister.  Though they were almost the same height, there were seven seasons between them.  It wasn't much time between the two, but the blonde had taken to protecting her younger siblings, as the oldest among them did for all._

_"We start tomorrow, after lessons. Be prepared for you body to ache for the next season."_

_The small brunette nodded, grinning at the chance to learn to defend herself.  Now she wouldn't have to be so scared about being by herself in situations as the one from earlier._

"Natasha."

"Maria."

**"Sister."**


	2. Chapter 2

A feeling of flames licking her heart assaulted her when she met the new CEO of Stark Industries.  Almost the same as the pulling sensation of the strings.  Almost the same sensation she got when she met Maria.

"I'm Natalie Rushman, from legal."  She almost gave her real name.  Almost ruined the op.  Almost.

"Pepper Potts. Let's get started shall we?"

 

After the Monaco Grand Prix.  After the horror that was Tony's birthday.  After the disaster of the Expo.  After Tony admitted to almost dying.  After it all, Rush- no Romanoff came to the office.

"Ms. Potts," the agent greeted.

"Romanoff," Pepper responded with a neutral tone.

Natasha could feel the flames recede with Pepper's tone.  Natasha wanted to try to grab them.

"I'm sorry for my..." Natasha paused, looking for the right word.  "My lies. I didn't want to lie to you, but I unfortunately do a lot of things I don't want to do for my job."

Pepper raised an eyebrow.  "Then why do it?"

Natasha opened her mouth, only to shut it quickly.  She had been about to lie again.  The agent knew that wouldn't help her gain the trust she broke and if the strings were leading her to Potts, then trust is what they needed.  "With my... skill set, there are very few jobs I can do. I would still be an assassin for hire if another agent hadn't given me another option. I owe SHIELD. It doesn't mean I like it."

"Well," Pepper looked Natasha in the eye, "if you ever decide to quit SHIELD, I wouldn't be afraid to hire you. So long as you remain truthful to me, at least."  The flames had returned.  They were almost circling Natasha, like they had before the Expo.

The agent gasped softly.  "Thank you," she whispered softly.  "But I do have my friend to think about."

"Of course," Pepper smiled.  "Just remember that if you need it... Well, it's hard to find people who can deal with Tony."

* * *

_"Are you ready?" the tall dark brown haired teen asked._

_The small eleven year old looked up from the jewelry in her hands.  She took in her sister, the oldest of those living with their mother, and nodded.  "I am ready."_

_"Alright," the older smiled, "then let us begin."_

_They both turned to the castle's armorer.  The grinning man moved to show the two how to begin their project._

_It was painstaking work.  The once beautiful jewelry the father to their younger sisters gave the blonde was transformed into a small dagger.  It was crude, the first of many the two would create.  By the end they were both sweaty and covered in grim.  Their dresses covered in soot and, in some places, singed._

_"It is not bad for a first attempt," the armorer announced, turning the dagger over in his hands.  "I know you lasses have lessons. This the only time you can get away?"_

_The older thought for a moment.  "This time for every seven suns."_

_The armorer nodded.  "I shall keep it here. You shall learn how to finish the piece next time, little one."_

_"Thank you," the small blonde replied breathlessly._

_The two sisters thanked the armorer again before turning to return to their home.  A skip in the younger's step was accompanied by a wide grin._

_"Now you will have the daggers you wish for," the brunette said softly.  "One day you will surpass the armorer in ability."_

_"I will help protect the others with these blades I craft," the blonde announced.  "Just as you protect us."_

_The brunette smiled.  "Remember to protect yourself as well. It would do no good for you to fall before your time."_

_"I will learn to control my gift. You will never have to worry then," the eleven year old grinned._

_"I will always worry, but that is the job of an older sister."_

"Pepper."

"Natasha."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look! Pepper!
> 
> List: Morgan, Pepper, Natasha, Maria
> 
> Five more!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Format for this one is a little different. Kinda has to be.

"So why do you want an internship out of your degree?" Jane Foster asked uncertainly.  The brunette in front of her was a poli-sci major, no where near astrophysics.

"Would you believe me if I told you I had a feeling?" Darcy asked back.

The young woman often did strange things other people didn't understand.  It was like she had something pushing her in a direction.  Like the ocean was pulling her towards the horizon.  It's why she went to Culver instead of somewhere closer to home.  Why she never took a science course.  Why she applied to the internship with Jane Foster.

"I," Jane paused, thinking about her sudden need to go to New Mexico.  Her sudden need to have an intern.  "Yeah, I do. Um, well, I still have to interview a few more people, but I'll let you know either way."

"Great! Thanks so much, Dr. Foster."

"Not a problem."

* * *

_The nine year old woke with a start.  Something was wrong with her sisters._ But which one? _she asked herself._

_She had never met her two eldest sisters.  The next eldest two she_ did _know were away with_ _their mother.  Her ten year old sister, the one she shared a room with and the only blonde in residence, was sleeping next to her, breathing slow and even._

_Sitting up the nine year old brunette decided to investigate the disturbance in her family.  Slowly she opened the door, heading first to the room of her parents.  Placing her hand on the door she focused on sensing their room.  Two bodies, both asleep, though her father seemed to be in a nightmare.  Nothing that would wake_ her _._

_Moving down to the room holding her youngest three sisters, the brunette opened the door.  She knew they wouldn't mind if she woke them just to check on them.  Besides, her seven year old sister was awake, standing in front of the small bed the youngest of them slept in._

_"Ah, so she woke you too?" her seven year old sister asked quietly, not wanting to wake the other sleeping._

_"Mhm. Is she alright?"_

_"I think she's scared," the younger admitted.  "But of what, I have no idea."_

_A sudden crack caused the two to jump.  They turned to the window and watched as the sky lit with the storm.  The smallest of them woke with the next crash._

_"Perhaps the storm?" the nine year old offered.  "I'll take her back to my room. I doubt I'll sleep while it rages. Get some sleep."  
_

_"Certain?" the seven year old asked._

_"Go. Rest," the nine year old ordered as she picked up the crying four year old.  "Come on, little one. We will wait for the storm to end together."_

_"Tank," the four year old sighed into her shoulder._

_"Welcome."_

"Jane."

"Darcy."

* * *

"So, uh, strange feeling," Jane started as they drove to the town Jane had picked out for her research.

"Yeah, like a tugging?" Darcy tried to explain.

"Dreams?" Jane asked quietly.

"Of another life," Darcy answered just as quietly.

"Yes!" Jane gasped.  "With a bunch of sisters!"

"All living with mom!" Darcy grinned.  "Yes! I'm not crazy! Wait is that why you brought me on this thing?"

"Kinda," Jane admitted.  "I mean there were a few with actual qualifications, but well, feelings."

"So... if anyone asks?"

"You were the only applicant?"

"Is there a way to check that?"

"Only I have to files," Jane admitted.

"So, uh, do you think we'll meet the others?" Darcy asked.

"I hope so. If I remember there were nine of us total."

"I think I was the youngest."

"I think we had... magic?"

"Magic isn't real," Darcy claimed, though she was a little uncertain.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look! No Tasha! Le gasp.
> 
> List: Morgan, Pepper, Natasha, Jane, Maria, Darcy
> 
> Six down. Three more sisters to go.


	4. Chapter 4

After Thor.  After the Bi-frost.  After most of the SHIELD agents had finally left.

Only then did Darcy and Jane sit down to discuss the insanity.  They went to Jane's trailer, turned up Darcy's playlist, and opened a bottle of rum.

"So, lightning-sister," Jane started before taking a swig of alcohol.  "Any ideas where that came from? And don't lie. I know you don't have a taser."

"Yeah," Darcy drawled out.  "It just sorta flew from my fingers. Lightning."

"And you didn't get burned?"

"I would've said something if I had," Darcy assured her friend, and long, lost sister.  "When I did it, I had a flash of blonde hair. Another sister I think."

"Any other details?" Jane asked as she wrote down the information.

Neither woman mentioned that the scientist wasn't writing in English, but an ancient runic language.  Two weeks after they arrived in New Mexico, the two of them finally realized Darcy was the only one able to read what others called Jane's chicken-scratch.  They hadn't been able to find any help online, so any secrets and memories were written in the strange runes.  The two had yet to notice that they didn't speak English when talking about their past.

"Metal," Darcy stated.  "I could almost taste it."

"Hmm, probably had some ability with metal then."

"So we're thinking lightning is mine?"

"Probably," Jane shrugged.  "We already figured out mine has something to do with space. Though I still feel like that term is _wrong_."

Darcy smiled at her sister's frustration.  It had been one of the few things Jane couldn't figure out when it came to astrophysics.  Personally, Darcy thought the "right term" would be something ancient, or at least so old it was out of common language.  They couldn't even figure out what runic language they knew instinctively.

"So we have metal, lightning, and space. That's three of us," the "intern" listed.

"I had a flash of warmth and brown hair when that, Destroyer? was attacking."  Jane took another mouthful of rum while she thought.

"Like summer heat, tea, flames? What we talking?"

"A banked fire," Jane answered with her eyes closed.  "A warm fire surrounding us, like a protector."

Darcy raised an eyebrow while she wrote the information down.  "Do you think that's why we weren't really afraid of that thing?"

Jane nodded.  "One of our sisters has some affinity for fire. Probably one of the oldest."

Darcy swiped the rum bottle.  She took two big gulps before returning to their notes.  "Fire, metal, space, lightning. That order?"

"So far."

A knock on the trailer door startled both women from their thoughts.  Darcy scooted back on the bed, leaving Jane closest to the door.  The small brunette rolled her eyes at the college student.

"Yes?" she asked before opening the door.  Some of what SHIELD told them to do _did_ make sense.

"Agent Romanoff," a feminine voice called.  "Coulson asked that I stay with the two of you."

"Coulson's nick?" Darcy called.

A light laugh came through before the mystery woman answered.  "Son of Coul, taker of research and iPods."

Jane opened the door.  "Hi."

"Dr. Foster, I'm Natasha Romanoff, your new security detail."  The two women inside took in the redhead with interest.  She was the first female agent they had met.

"Come on in," Jane ushered.

"Yeah, we're just having a drunk night after everything," Darcy grinned.

"Your poison?" the agent asked.

"Rum," Jane answered.

The scientist forced herself to relax as the new woman looked over the papers.  While the redhead looked at Jane's chicken-scratch, Darcy went on about how they had wanted some good beer.  The young woman cut into her tangent of how she ranked different beer brands when the redhead picked up a pencil.

"Uh, whatcha doing?" Darcy tilted her head.

"Water," Agent Romanoff answered.  "You're missing water from you list."

"Huh?"

"What do you mean?"

Natasha smiled at them.  "I suppose neither of you realized the language change?"

"Language-" Darcy stopped.  "Like not English?"

"Yes. Worried the agents watching you for a bit."

"You know it?" Jane asked, indicating the runes.

"Mhm. You weren't wrong about metal," she smiled.  "I've met fire and another, water."

"Holy shit!" Darcy yelled.  "You're one of our sisters!"

Natasha nodded.  "As is another SHIELD agent and Pepper Potts."

"Potts? Pepper Potts is one of our sisters?" Darcy squeaked out.

Jane just sat there, staring at the lithe woman.  Dreams, memories really, were going through her mind's eye.  This was one of their sisters.  And older one most likely, though they would all be older than Darcy.  This was the sister with the metal affinity.  Blonde, Darcy had said.

"Blades," Jane muttered.  "You always had blades on you."

Natasha nodded.  "Still do. Pepper was the sister to help me start forging my own, before."

"We're speaking another language?" Darcy suddenly piped.

The redhead nodded again.  "Something similar to Gaelic, with a hint of Latin and some Slavic language thrown in. At least that's what the interpreters say."

"How did we not notice?" Jane questioned.

"Probably because it only seems to happen between us sisters," Natasha stated.  "Pepper and I have had entire conversations before without notice. Same with the agent."

"Do we get to know our mystery sister's name?" Darcy asked.

"I've sent word that I found others. She'll most likely want to meet you first. Pepper wants me to offer Stark Industry funding if necessary."

"Is it necessary?" Jane asked.

Natasha shrugged.  "I would recommend it. I don't like the idea of you being dependent on SHIELD. Pepper takes care of us."

"She's the eldest?" Darcy asked.

"That we know of. Pepper says there's two older than her. Though none of us can remember them."

"That's seven total."

"Fire, metal, water," Darcy listed.  "Probably have an air and earth in there somewhere."

"You're space?" Natasha asked Jane.  Darcy giggled at the grimace on Jane's face.

"Something like it at least."

"Space and time," Natasha stated.

"Eight!" Darcy grinned.

"The ninth might be harder to figure out," Jane mumbled.  "We probably won't figure out much more until more of us meet. We'll probably meet Pepper next, if our flashes are any consideration."

"So, yes to Stark?" Darcy grinned.

Jane shrugged.  "A tentative yes. I'd like to meet Pepper first."

"Might be awhile before that happens," Natasha frowned.  "If I remember right, her schedule has her out of the country for the next three months at least."

"So, rum?" Darcy offered the bottle to the newest "found" sister.

Jane and Natasha laughed.  It was a good evening.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I will allow the first person to guess all nine sisters to pick 2 pairings they want to be in the series. Everyone has a starting point with Morgan, Natasha, and Maria. I won't touch on any relationships for the sisters during this part of the series so anything is possible.


End file.
